It was raining in torrents. Hard and relentless, the cold drops pelted the earth, clothes, hair and skin. Running down it, seeping in. Undisturbed. Motionless, the many dark-clad figures stood before the gravestone, eyes closed. Each one said goodbye personally to the deceased. Many tears ran, mixed with the rain, dripped to the ground. Again and again people went forward to the small grave, said a few words, laid a flower and turned away to be comforted in the arms of another.

Relentlessly, the cool wetness dripped from the clouds and it almost seemed as if the sky itself was crying. A child sobbed and pressed against an adult. The little body trembled with grief and exhaustion. Gently but firmly, the taller one, finally pushed the boy away, his own gaze still thoughtfully fixed on the grave and the small, dark figure in front of it.

Tora:

I couldn't hold them back. They came again and again. The damned tears. Ran down my drenched, swollen face, up to my chin, dripping down it onto my clothes. I blocked out everything that was happening around me, sinking completely into my grief and thoughts of the person to whom I owed so much. He was the one who had accepted me into the village. Through him I was able to live my dream. His knowledge had supported me in deciding the fight against Dosu for myself.

He had told me many things. That everyone in the village was a part of his family for him. He loved everyone equally, regardless of appearance and character. Also me. Despite my past and all that had happened to me or that I had done. And I...

Firmly my fingers dug into the wet earth, deeper and deeper, until it hurt...I had taken him into my own family too. There he had found a place beside Kakashi and Genma. Had been my role model, someone I had looked up to...and now...he was no longer there. All triggered by a devious plan. The merger of Suna and Otogakure. Died defending his village at the hands of Orochimaru, the leader of the Oto-Nins

I didn't understand. How could he do such a terrible thing to his own sensei? With such cold-bloodedness. A sob escaped my mouth.

And for what? For power? Honor? Reputation?

No. Such things did not create prestige, but dislike and hatred. And that was exactly what I was feeling at the moment. Because if one day I should meet Orochimaru or one of his henchmen again, they would regret having killed my sensei. I swore that here and now.

And as for Kankuro, Gaara and Temari...I didn't want to run into them at all. Because if I did...there would be no more friendship between us, no matter what Naruto and the others would say about it. For me, they were as much to blame for the Hokage's death as Orochimaru was.

If they had fought on our side, it might never have happened.

Gaara...Kankuro...Temari...I will never forget that. You can count on it.

Completely soaked I arrived at home. I increasingly felt the cold, which sat deep in my limbs, but still felt like I was wrapped in absorbent cotton. My whole body seemed to be so heavy all at once, my head was spinning, a stabbing pain was spreading through it.

With difficulty, I settled down on a chair and took off my wet clothes before getting into the shower. The warm water did not revive me at all. I felt as if a mountain had been placed on my back. My head throbbed incessantly and only slowly did I manage to rub myself dry and put on new clothes before pulling the hood over my head and heading back out into the rain.

Carrying only a few kunais and shuriken, I ran across the slippery rooftops. Almost slipped, regained my balance, and continued on my way. Jumped down to the street, into the next puddle. Cold water ran down my shoes, didn't stop me from running. I needed this now. Needed to feel alive. Somehow get out.

Silently I sat in my former cave, staring at the small fire, whose smoke could penetrate through the holes between the roots to the outside. This natural warmth revived me, let life return to my limbs and I began to look around a little. Everything was still the same. Nothing had really changed, except that it had become a lot leakier. Wind and weather had cleared up the plugged cracks, so that now a small part of the rain could penetrate through all the branches and roots.

But that bothered me little.

Slowly I pulled the shiny kunai out of my hand and looked at my face, which was reflected in it. The hair had become quite long. Reached now almost to the shoulders. My hands clung to the cool handle and in a single movement I separated a large part of it in the middle. And so I worked my way forward. Until I again had hair almost as short as the first time. Briefly I stroked it. That should be enough. Now they were just above the ears.

Gently I leaned back and thought of my time as a thief.

What would have actually happened if I had never met Naruto? Would I still be stealing apples from Daichi's assortment, still wearing my name, the intangible? Maybe I would even be better off than I am now. Then I wouldn't have all the worries and problems. All the grief never so intense.

Maybe it would have been better if I had never met Naruto, then I wouldn't have all this pain. Would never have been so disappointed by Kankuro. I would never have known all these feelings.

Slowly, but surely, I dozed off. The world around me grew darker and darker and the last thing I perceived was the smell of rain mixed with that of fire.

I smiled. I was home now.

„Tora?"

Tiredly, my eyelids fluttered as I opened and closed them. Wasn't someone calling out? Probably I had dreamed it too. My whole body...it was so tired...exhausted...I couldn't move at all...everything hurt...my head was pounding...and...I...I was freezing so terribly.

„TORA?!"

„Hey Tora. Where are you?"

This time the voices were closer. They sounded worried, tired, and husky.

„Here," I wanted to say, but my voice refused to do the job. All strength had gone out of the limbs, even the tongue would no longer obey. I felt so terribly helpless.

With difficulty I moved my foot, tapping the heel of my shoe as loudly as I could against the wood of the roots that stretched around me. Hoping that whoever was looking for me would hear it.

All at once I felt a warm grip around my ankles, gently but firmly, pulling me out of the cave. Two hands came to rest against my cheeks and I looked into a pair of brown eyes.

„G-Genma," I croaked, feeling my voice fail me again.

Pure relief spread across his face and he pressed my limp body against him. Over his broad shoulder, I noticed that he had not come alone. Behind him stood Naruto, Shikamaru, Kakashi and Kiba.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I caught their gazes. They all seemed to have been worried. Slowly, Genma broke away from me again and looked at me seriously.

„Don't ever do that again."

A faint smile appeared on my lips and I shook my head powerlessly.

I certainly wouldn't.

Gently, his short hand stroked the back of my head, momentarily stunned by the sudden shortness of my hair, but continued again after not even a blink.

„How...", I asked so quietly that I feared he had not understood me.

But Genma paused and turned his head to my friends.

„Kiba was following your tracks. The smell was almost gone, but the tracks were still clearly visible, because you didn't seem to have bothered to cover them up. It's lucky we found you now. Your body is all cooled down."

Carefully he stood up and lifted me. Without resistance, I let it happen. What could I have done about it? I didn't even want to, because now I realized that despite all the terrible, shattering events, especially the death of the Hokage, I would never want to exchange this life I now had with that of the intangible. She never had what I had now.

A family.